A BP ship carrying vital diesel fuel necessary for hurricane relief in Puerto Rico has been stuck in limbo, awaiting a response from the White House since Sunday due to a law known as the Jones Act, The Washington Post reports. Puerto Rican officials have been putting pressure on the Biden administration to waive the law prohibiting access. Due to the recent Hurricane Fiona, thousands of Puerto Rican citizens continue to lack power.
The union-backed Jones Act, also known as the Merchant Marine Act of 1920, stipulates that shipping between U.S. ports had to be facilitated by U.S.-owned ships built in the states only, per NBC News. Since the vessel with the much-needed diesel is not U.S. owned, officials are forced to wait for Biden to approve a waiver to gain access.
Subscribe to The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.
Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
-
Today's political cartoons - December 21, 2024Cartoons Saturday's cartoons - losing it, pedal to the metal, and more
-
Three fun, festive activities to make the magic happen this Christmas DayInspire your children to help set the table, stage a pantomime and write thank-you letters this Christmas!
-
The best books of 2024 to give this ChristmasThe Week Recommends From Percival Everett to Rachel Clarke these are the critics' favourite books from 2024
-
Hundreds feared dead in French Mayotte cycloneSpeed Read Cyclone Chido slammed into Mayotte, a French territory in the Indian Ocean
-
Thirteen missing after Red Sea tourist boat sinksSpeed Read The vessel sank near the Egyptian coastal town of Marsa Alam
-
Global plastics summit starts as COP29 endsSpeed Read Negotiators gathering in South Korea seek an end to the world's plastic pollution crisis, though Trump's election may muddle the deal
-
Biden visits Amazon, says climate legacy irreversibleSpeed Read Nobody can reverse America's 'clean energy revolution,' said the president, despite the incoming Trump administration's promises to dismantle climate policies
-
At least 95 dead in Spain flash floodsSpeed Read Torrential rainfall caused the country's worst flooding since 1996
-
Cuba roiled by island-wide blackouts, Hurricane OscarSpeed Read The country's power grid collapsed for the fourth time in just two days
-
Wildlife populations drop a 'catastrophic' 73%Speed Read The decline occurred between 1970 and 2020
-
Floridians flee oncoming Hurricane MiltonSpeed Read The hurricane is expected to cause widespread damage in the state
